


Branches on the Tree

by pureheartcitizen (thirdeyeopen), thirdeyeopen



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe because of too many inaccuracies, family reunions? sorta? maybe not in the way you were hoping, minor background relationship, other tags/warnings to be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-09-23 03:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20333407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdeyeopen/pseuds/pureheartcitizen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdeyeopen/pseuds/thirdeyeopen
Summary: For months, Mao Mao has been adjusting to life in Pure Heart Kingdom with his family, Adorabat and Badgerclops. But when a stranger to the kingdom turns out to be his long-lost Mother, Mao is thrown into the middle of a brewing family war.And the worst part? He may not know it's happening until it's too late.





	1. First Night Figures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: As Mao is an ongoing show, there will undoubtedly be things that go against my story. Let it be known that this is being written and considered as an AU. Characters, designs, key locations, events, etc may not line up with the series canon.

The bedroom was warm, illuminated by the yellow glows of candlelights, filled with the sounds of soft breathing. It was the polar opposite of the world outside, where chilly winds blew around in the dark, creating its own noise as it pushed against windows and tested the stillness of the trees. 

The majority of the kingdom of Pure Heart was asleep. Villagers slept soundly in their beds. Sidewalk lights illuminated a nightly world nobody cared to explore. It was nearly midnight, and almost everybody was asleep. But one somebody remained awake.

That somebody was Mao Mao, whose green eyes glowed brightly in the dark of the room. He blinked around at the space and paused, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness even in the slightest bit. Slowly, the abyss at his feet became a wooden floor. The darkness at the window became long drapes shrouding the light. The room came to shape, and so Mao gingerly slid out of bed and rose to his full height. His bedroom door was to the right, so off he went.

The floor under his feet was cold in some places, his bare pawpads taking the brunt of it. And although they weren’t loud in the slightest, the floorboard's occasional creaks were enough to make him uneasy. He felt almost as if he were doing something illegal, sneaking around like that, although that was far from the truth. He was just taking a little walk, that's all.

In truth, this was his first escape. He had been thinking about doing it for days as he laid awake, frustrated, throughout the night. But he had never actually left the house at night before.

_ Patrol. _ He mused to himself, as if trying to justify a gluttonous decision. His hand fell upon the cold, metal doorknob, and he smiled reassuringly down at it. _It’s a patrol, that's it. Gotta make sure the Sweetypies stay safe and all._

Patrolling. They’d never tried it because, so far, there wasn’t a reason to. Monsters and spooks and the likes attacked in the day. Cryptic bone messages, thieving tanukis, and missing kids in storm drains happened during the day. Badgerclops and Adorabat never showed much interest in night patrol because they were always asleep before ten. 

So maybe Mao, the insomniac as of late, could try on their behalf. 

The living room was small enough to be illuminated by a single candle, sitting on a nightstand in the corner. It gave off a friendly yellow glow, and Mao stared at it, watching it flicker in the throes of a house breeze he couldn’t feel. He turned to glance at the front door.

_Well, you've gotten this far, _he thought to himself. _Better keep going._

The first thing he felt when he pried the front door open (slowly, as it was quite noisy) was the chill. August was getting colder with each passing day, and Pure Heart's high elevation never helped much.

Mao stepped away from the house and into town.

Pure Heart Valley was asleep, and had been for a while by now. It was almost eleven after all. Lanterns were hooked to the walls of every house, the only lights available in an otherwise dark town square. They illuminated the path for the only person out so late, guiding him along wherever it was he would need to go. He wasn't thinking about going anywhere in particular. 

Weak droplets of rain splashed down from drip edges on rooftops, existing as the only physical reminder of the storm from two nights back. It had been a pretty crummy day for the heroes, who spent most of it under an outcropping in town, almost praying for a battle or anything to spice the day up. 

Mao made it to the square and then slowed to a stop, taking a look around. The foreign silence was appreciated, but it seemed so _lonely _there. 

The forestry was alive with sounds, but not the sounds of monsters. Owls and crickets sounded off around him. Cicadas and various insects filled the silence with their song. Night-time was their time. But with his night coat and glowing, green eyes, maybe Mao looked as if the night-time was his time, too. 

Mao sat down on the base of the small Ruby Pure Heart statue, glancing around the tranquil square.

And then nothing happened for forever after. Nothing happened for so long that Mao began to call it quits. It was stupid to cone up there. He slid off the statue and began to head home. 

But just as he did, he heard swift feet running behind him, like a gunshot ripping through the air of a quiet neighborhood. Mao whirled around with the noise, trying to see anything through the inky darkness. But the noise ended before he could pinpoint a source. 

His first thought was “thief”. His second: maybe an attacker, or something worse. His hand fell upon Geraldine's sheath, and he began to slowly walk towards where the sound ended. As he got closer, he found himself instinctively unsheathing the golden katana. He was tense, ready to spring away, dodge, leap forward, anything. 

And then he saw the eyes. 

They were a gentle periwinkle, but they shone in the darkness just as bright as Mao's own did. They stared right at him, _into _him, the body they belonged to hidden by the darkness of night. Mao squinted, but he couldn’t make out any features, much less any clothes.

The figure began to advance on him, and Mao backed up from it, unease making the fur on the back of his neck prickle. If he could draw this person out into the light then it would reveal their identity, but did he really want to know? The stranger was too tall to be a Sweetypie playing some trick, and the eye color was wrong for it to be Tanya. No, whoever this was, the Sheriff didn't know them. And he didn't take too kindly to being intimidated.

He quickly drew his katana, the metal making a quick _ shing! _noise as it scraped against the scabbard. The figure visibly recoiled at the sight of the golden weapon, taking a few steps away from Mao.

He waited tensely for a surrender, to hear this person's voice, anything new. And then the stranger was running from him.

“Hey!” Mao shouted, staring dumbly into the darkness as the footsteps immediately quieted. “HEY!”

Scowling in fury, Mao quickly shoved Geraldine back in her scabbard and took chase. 

The stranger purposefully avoided the light. Mao had to rely on the sound of their feet on the ground as he weaved between houses, cape flying behind him in the cold wind. "STOP!" He yelled after them. They didn't listen. 

Mao lost them around a corner. He turned it, breaking into a clearing... and skid to a stop.

The figure was kneeled beside a Sweetypie, slowly passing a bowl into their waiting hands. They seemed completely calm and unphased now, as if they weren’t being chased not even three seconds ago. Mao stood in plain sight, mouth agape, watching as the Sweetypie quietly and mannerfully began to eat from the bowl. Neither seemed to notice or care that he was there.

Slowly, the mysterious figure rose again and turned to face Mao. The pupiless periwinkle eyes held no expression.

And then they took off again. 

They sprung off the ground and landed on the rooftop of a nearby building, glancing at their pursuer only once more before disappearing past the edge. Mao was quick to follow, easily hopping up after them. He was just fast enough to see the figure leap off at the other side of the building, more than likely landing on another rooftop. 

The Sheriff pursued them over five buildings, but it rewarded him with nothing. In the end, his pursued leapt from a rooftop and simply disappeared. Mao lingered on the rooftop for minutes searching for the gleam of those periwinkle eyes, but nothing came. 

Mao never liked to give up. He denied that it was what he was doing, even as he headed home, war waging on in his head. He shouldn't be quitting, leaving that person out there. It wasn't right. 

But by the time he knew it, he was back in bed. 

In the darkness of the bedroom, green eyes glared thoughtfully up at the bottom of the middle bunk. It didn't feel real. Who was that person? Why were they there? How long had they been in the Kingdom?

He could lay in bed and think about it he wanted to. Now, he _ definitely _wasn't getting any sleep. 


	2. A Face to a Name

He couldn't focus. 

There were a lot of "good morning"s when Adorabat was the first to wake, plenty of sleepy "good morning" smiles from Badgerclops once her yelling inevitably woke him. There was a wild, probably-fake Adorabat adventure story at breakfast. And there was a talk of a day plan from Badgerclops as they all cleaned their bowls. 

And Mao missed all of it. 

He was lucky the serpent-like beast that attacked the Valley later on that day was gigantic, or else he very well could have missed that, too. 

The beast was nothing new and zero problem, so maybe Mao could afford to be off his game. That didn't mean he didn't get hit. He was so out of it, he forgot he had to jump to actually dodge the tail that suddenly came flying towards him. It side-swiped him immediately. He remembered hearing the dragon chortle in an attempt to imitate a laugh as Mao flew against the wall of a nearby house. 

The fight was over seconds after. Badgerclops had finally managed to net the beast, leaving Mao to send it flying far out of town, just like he had done a few months back. 

While the villagers came out from hiding and began to cheer for the heroes, Mao was still distracted. Celebration fell on deaf ears. Happy faces were avoided by angry, almost nervous eyes. 

"Dude, what's the matter with you?" Badgerclops's voice rose above the noise. He not only sounded concerned, but he looked it too. Mao could see that when he turned his head and they met eyes. 

A paw came up to rub his hurting shoulder, the one that had slammed so harshly against somebody's house a minute ago. Green eyes went back to avoiding faces, glaring off to the side.

"Nothing." 

**\-----**

Nighttime again. 

Green eyes blinked in the darkness. A sneaky cat slunk out of the house.

_ Here we are again, _Mao thought as he closed the door behind him and faced the sleeping outside world. Tonight was a little less chilly, but that didn't help much. The cold wasn't what he was worried about anymore. 

It was ten forty-six, two minutes from the time he snuck out last night. Stepping into town, surrounded by lantern lights and the sounds of night animals, he felt a knot in his stomach as he approached that side of town again. Memories of the purple eyes plagued him the whole way. 

He was out all day and didn't see them again, not once. He and Badgerclops and even Adorabat were out around town until nighttime. There'd reason why that figure didn't show up again unless they were purposefully hiding from him. 

His unease was replaced with anger. Did they think that this was funny? Did they think it was all a game? What did they get out of skulking around town and unnerving _ him? _

He didn't know, but he was going to find out. 

Besides. 

Badgerclops already knows how to build a trap. 

When he passed between those two houses again he halted in the shadows, just out of reach of the lanterns. He sat there for a mere three seconds before he was already moving to find a better spot; the figure would most likely know to look between those houses. Whoever they were, if they chose to run, there was no guarantee that Mao could keep up. And he couldn't (and wouldn't) let the same person get away twice. 

So he found a new vantage point, at the edge of the nearby forest. He had crept behind a row of houses arranged in a half circle, and found a good spot where the shrubbery was dense and thornless. He felt more like a spy than an officer. 

Moments passed. Seconds turned into minutes. Time seemed to move on without Mao. There was the same person that had taken the food sitting outside the house, but they were too boring to watch. 

He was boredly tapping his fingers on the bush when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, his heart hammering in his chest as he caught sight of the person for the first time that day. The periwinkle eyes still shone as brightly as ever, but they weren't looking at him. They were looking in between the houses, at the exact same spot Mao was in just minutes before. 

Green eyes stared the figure down as they eventually turned their attention to the person sitting outside. They kneeled, and from their cloak brought out a silver bowl, the same one from last night. The person took it, picked up a piece of silverware that shone in the night, and began to eat. 

Mao was too busy staring at the mysterious figure to hear the person's soft words.

"Thank you, Miss Lorelei." 

And then the figure turned to stare at him. 

If anyone had heard that sentence they would make an excuse; "they were looking above you" or something else. But if they were there, then they would have known the truth. 

Green eyes started at periwinkle, while periwinkle stared back.

And then the person was running again. 

Mao was quicker to respond this time (if anything, he was almost expecting them to run off). He stood up and began the chase, watching the figure leap onto the rooftop like the night before. This time, there was less of an advantage. Mao was on their tail in seconds, jumping in front of the fleeing figure and forcing them to stop. 

_ Shing! _Periwinkle eyes widened as the pointy tip of a katana was at their throat, almost in the blink of an eye. Two hands went up beside their shoulders shoulders, showing palms in a silent "wait!". 

Even in light, Mao still couldn't see their face. Everything besides their eyes and ears were covered by a mask. 

**(drawn by my good friend kylethebigmac!! love you!!!!)**

"Take off your mask." Mao said lowly, glaring at the stranger. His grip tightened on the handle of his katana. 

Slowly, the figure's two hands reached behind their head. Fingers began to fidget. With a soft _ click _, the mask fell away, allowing Mao his first real glance at who he had been chasing for the past 24 hours. 

She was a female, a black cat like him. With the mask cut away, her periwinkle eyes finally showed pupils, and they seemed to almost glimmer in the light. She was dressed in a dark amber cloak that hid her body at the middle and came down to her knees. Around her neck was a thick, dark-brown scarf that tied in the back. 

Mao took the quick look-over, his glare never leaving. 

He was about to ask her who she was, why she looked like him. Why she was here, what she wanted. 

And then she spoke. 

"I know who you are." 

Mao's glare deepened, the grip on his katana tightening even more. His eyes never left hers, but his body was tense, ready to spring away from an attack. 

"Everyone does."

"Oh, but I know you personally. And it's been a long time. Mao." 

She seemed to only watch as his defensive expression crumbled. His glare lessened, if only slightly, his mouth going from a scowl to merely being open in surprise. He also pulled the katana back a bit; her eyes grew calmer as soon as she felt the blade leave her neck. 

And then she pressed the mask back to her face, those fingers fidgeting at the back of her neck again before her hands dropped to her sides. 

"You're my son, after all. Why wouldn't I know you personally?" 

And then she jumped off the roof. 

There was no time to think about what he heard, though the shock made it hard to give chase. He ran to the edge and leapt off with so much force that he landed in front of her yet again. Thankfully, she stopped, her eyes widened once more at his sudden reappearance. 

The katana was back on her neck in an instant. Mao was an angry mess, his glare pressing lines into the bridge of his nose, his teeth bared as if he were a feral creature staring down a victim. 

"Was that some kind of a joke?!" He hissed, probably louder than he should have at eleven at night. 

The woman only seemed to stare; while he was mad beyond reason, she seemed to be nonchalantly calmer, which only infuriated him more. 

"No point in joking." She replied softly, after a pause. "Look at yourself, Mao, and then look at me. We look nearly the same." 

There was no need to check. He had noticed first, after all. He visibly tensed, his eyes glancing everywhere on her face, almost erratically. 

His fingers curled around the handle of the katana once more; she finally seemed to notice. And things took a turn. 

"If you want to kill me, if you're thinking about it, do it. I deserve it anyways." 

Was that meant to guilt him?? Anger coursed through him like a wildfire at her words. His ears went back for the first time in her presence, his mind desperately working, searching for a response, something, anything. But everything was too crazy. Everything was too wrong, too screwed up. 

But she continued. 

"I left you behind and chose a dark path, Mao. Even all this may not redeem that. So if you choose to kill me, I'll understand." 

His breath had quickened, and he only truly noticed it then. He felt like she was trying to guilt him, get in his head. Confuse him. She could be making stuff up about how she knew him. She could be trying to fool him, to get his guard down. Maybe she had a plan to attack the Valley and this was the first part. 

But she knew, somehow, _ somehow, _that he grew up without a mother. 

He felt like he could pass out. 

"You have everything you need here. A home, a family, and a town that loves you. There's nothing for me anywhere."

The katana was pulled back yet again. He was hoping she couldn't tell, but he was scared. Scared of her, scared of this. He had been just fine, why did she see the need to come back? Had she been here in the Valley the whole time?? How long had she been watching him?? How many times has she been hidden in plain sight??

"Mao, I'm just a nobody. I've lost everything and everyone, including you." 

She made a move to dodge around him, and before he could fight it, his body automatically moved with her, blocking her way. 

"I turned my back on you. I became a ghost in your life. I shouldn't have come here. You were doing just fine without me!" 

There came a time when she shoved him, and so he shoved back with one free hand. She stumbled back and then stopped, blinking at him. 

He was breathing as if he had just run a marathon, when really he was just stressed. Stressed wasn't even the word for it. There were so many words that could paint the picture better if he ever told the story, but right now his brain could only come up with one thing. 

_ Home. Home. You need to go home. _

Home, where his real family is. Where in the morning they can have breakfast and talk and then go out about the town. Where everything will be okay simply because his family's there. 

Through the lump in his throat, he said to her, 

"Be here tomorrow." 

The katana was pulled away and pressed back into its scabbard. 

He looked at her again, and maybe it was just the moonlight, but his eyes were shining too. 

"I have to get home to my family." 

**\-----**

Nighttime. What a horrible, horrible time. 

He opened the bedroom door, and shut it behind him once he stepped inside. 

With his back against the wood, he slowly slid down to the floor, staring off into space.

He thought and thought until his brain hurt. And then he crawled into bed.

And sleep was merciful.


	3. Lorelei

There were no attacks that day. 

They were out around town as usual, ready to fight, but nothing happened.

The only thing there was to do was sit on a bench and kick their legs until night came. Then they headed home.

Last in line and close to the door, Mao suddenly stopped. He turned his head back to look in the direction of the awning, seeing a light flick on way off in the distance. 

“Dude.” The voice of Badgerclops prompted him to look back at the door. Badgerclops was in the doorway, staring him down. “You coming in or what? It’s cold.” 

Mao hesitated, at a loss for words more than he was actually thinking of an answer.

He turned his head back to look towards the awning. It seemed to make his decision for him. 

“I’ll… catch up.” 

** \-----**

A storm was coming. He could smell it in the air and the way it hung around the place. He was out early enough to see the Valley coming to a rest. The sounds of doors shutting followed him down the path. Inside lights flicked off as he passed them. 

He passed in between the two houses this time, coming upon an empty awning. Where once there was somebody sitting underneath, now there was nothing. 

Slowly, Mao crept into the center of the clearing, taking a better look at the spot where the person used to be. There was hardly even a sign of life anymore; the only thing remaining was a single, untouched napkin. 

He was turning around to leave when suddenly he was met with the image of the woman from the night before, standing in front of him. 

The hero yelped and recoiled, his hand immediately flying to the handle of his katana. When the shock cleared and he seemed to recognise her, the hand backed off. 

"How did you do that?" He asked softly, squinting at her. His face seemed almost appalled, but his voice sounded bewildered. 

In response to him she raised her right paw; barefoot, like his. "I walk toe to heel." She replied. She was without her mask tonight, so Mao caught the smirk tugging at her lips as she spoke again. "You should try it." She lowered her paw. Although she was on grass, her foot made no sound, even when she put weight on it. 

He stared her down, blinking. 

"...I'm good." 

"If you were looking for Buttermilk, he left." 

"Buttermilk?"

"Yeah. The Sweety-Pie that always sat out here. He left." 

"Where'd he go?" 

"I was never told." The woman replied nonchalantly. She grabbed her elbow with her left hand and stretched her arms behind her head so far that Mao heard a soft _ pop! _"He said he was going on a trip, and I never questioned." 

Mao raised an eyebrow at her, taking the time to pop his own wrist. "Well, why not?" 

"It's a waste of time to question Buttermilk." She replied, resting her arms at her sides again. "You'd think he only knows a few words. 'Yes, no, eh, whatever, hm, and huh'. That's it." 

"Right. I… don't care." Mao replied. "I want to know about you." 

At this, her ears perked. "Oh? Well, fine then. We can play a game of-" 

"I want to know how you got here." Mao said sternly, his eyes fixed in a glare again. He didn't look mad anymore, just ready to interrogate, and unwilling to accept stupid answers. 

"...Oh." She said softly. "Are you… sure? It's pretty boring." 

"We're on a tall mountain above the clouds, surrounded by miles and miles of nothing." Mao replied curtly, crossing his arms. "I'll find a way to entertain myself." 

"Let's at least get away from this person's house first." She said, turning to look up at the rooftop behind her. "Come on." She leapt up and disappeared over the edge momentarily, before her eyes were peering over at him. 

He hesitated, then leapt. His feet met the rooftop ungracefully, creating multiple loud thumps as he stumbled to catch his balance. With his arms outstretched at his sides, he wobbled a final time and then stopped, blinking twice in surprise. Then he merely stood to full height again, as if nothing had happened. 

"You're noisy." The woman remarked. She was sitting down now, with her legs just barely hanging off the edge of the rooftop. Her attention was fixed on the horizon. She was smiling softly, almost sadly. 

He joined her, staring out to the horizon as well. "Start." He said curtly and softly. The glare was almost entirely gone now, replaced with something more solemn. 

And thus, she began. 

"I was… around, when the ruby heart was shattered." She recounted carefully. "I remember seeing a whole mountain appear right before my eyes. I was already going to check it out, but then all the monsters started coming along. While I was hiding I decided to pass the mountain by. But then I started hearing stories about you." 

She saw his ears perk out of the corner of her eye. 

"People in that village down there were telling me about you. They thought I _ was _ you. Until I spoke, that is. They'd come up to me and say how thankful they were for my 'good heart' and I would just look at them and go… _ 'What?'" _

A scoff. She took a peek at him and caught a slight smile. 

"After they figured out I wasn't you, they started telling me you were my 'spitting image'. They kept saying 'Go to the town on top of the mountain, go to the town on top of the mountain! That's where he lives! You gotta go to the top of the mountain!' I could only stand about a day of that, so soon I was on my way up." 

"Then how didn't I see you?" Mao asked. The smile was gone again, his eyes reflecting suspicion, although he didn't look at her. 

"I arrived at night. Nobody was outside except you, but even you were heading in. I only saw your eyes. I climbed on top of somebody's flat rooftop and fell asleep. And… there I stay." 

"So you've been here for months and never thought about letting me know."

"I had no intention to. I didn't even mean to stay this long. Buttermilk found me and told me to. And then when I saw you the next morning, I… realized you were mine." Her ears drooped as she smiled sadly. "I wanted to reach out to you, but then I saw you and your friends. You were… happy. _ So _ happy. I didn't want to ruin that." 

"So why didn't you leave." It was spoken so bluntly that it sounded more like a statement than a question. 

"I planned to. After I realized I'd found you, Mao, I vowed that I would leave as fast as I could, and that I'd never come back. I didn't want you to find me because you looked so happy with your new family. And if a kid who… whose mother walked out on him, whose father ignored him… if a kid who had a childhood like yours could smile like _ that, _then… then he didn't need me anymore." 

Silence fell. The woman turned her head away, slowly picking at small pieces of roof shingles. Mao, meanwhile, glared out into the distance, searching for something to say. 

"I did." He said finally. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman look at him again. "I did need you. I always have." 

When she said nothing, Mao sighed heavily and slowly stood up. "My friend is probably waiting up on me at home…" He said slowly, hoping she would get the message. 

"Yeah…" She replied softly. "You go home and get some rest. I'll be here tomorrow night if you… well…" 

"I get it." He said. "I'll… be around."

"Alright. See you soon, Mao." 

"See you… uh… what was-?"

"Lorelei." She spoke softly, staring out at the horizon again. Her smile was back, and carried a feeling of forlorn with her expression. "My name is Lorelei." 

"...Lorelei." He echoed sheepishly. "Goodnight… Lorelei." 

"Goodnight, Mao." 

Her voice was warm, and it followed him even as he jumped back down to the ground and headed for home. 

It ignited a memory once lost as he laid in bed moments later. 

_ "Goodnight, goodnight. _

_ It's time now to sleep. _

_ The moon's watching over _

_ you and your dreams. _

_ Goodnight, goodnight, _

_ my sweet little one. _

_ Tomorrow, your eyes, _

_ they will light up the sun." _

It was part of a song - a lullaby. One he never remembered being sung until now. 

He hummed the tune in his head, sang the lyrics without saying a word. Anything not to forget. 

He pulled the blankets closer as a memory of being tucked in pulled at his heart. 

He began to cry. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics for the lullaby at the end were taken from "Lullaby" by Sleeping at Last. :)


	4. Who's That? - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ!!! 
> 
> For those of you who saw this chapter already, hi again!! There's a reason this was reposted!! 
> 
> In case you don't recall, in the original copy of this chapter I told you guys I was beginning to fall into burnout and felt like I wasn't putting my all into this story. Well, as it turns out, I was merely getting sick! I'm feeling a lot better now and I finally took the time to come back and make this chapter better. 
> 
> But that's not the only change! 
> 
> In chapter 3, I changed the Sweety Pie's name from "Muffins" to "Buttermilk"! I somehow missed that Muffins was already a character on the show. He was meant to be a Sweety Pie made solely for the story, and I didn't want people to think I was referring to the actual Muffins that already existed. Sorry for the confusion!

Well, at least his mind was clearer now. 

The same beast from the morning before last had returned with a vengeance, and the fight was more exhausting than usual. Over dodging and landing hits, Mao found himself uncharacteristically tired of the battle. The only thing keeping him on his feet was the faint ache of his still-injured shoulder - a reminder of what letting his guard down could bring - every time he would swing his katana at the monster.

Finally, he landed the “killing” hit on the beast, his feet meeting the ground just in time to feel it shake as the monster collapsed. With his mind relieved of the pressure of calculating dodges and attacks, he finally realized just how hot the sun was that morning. 

He raised his head up to the sky, using a hand as a visor to protect his eyes from some of the sunlight. But before he could look for any clouds, a sign of hope for cooling rains, he caught a flash of black disappearing behind the edge of a nearby rooftop. The quick glimpse of black and periwinkle told him everything he needed to know. 

Before the advancing circle of cheering villagers could trap him in their ring (as they had already done to Badgerclops), he leapt onto the nearby rooftop and disappeared past the edge as well.

**\-----**

"Out and about quite pretty early."

Her ears perked at the sudden voice; she knew he was following (and could tell he hadn’t taken her advice on walking toe-to-heel), but it was instinct. 

“Aren’t you.”

Lorelei was sitting on the edge of the roof again, smiling out to the horizon like she did last night. Still, her smile held something wistful about it, her eyes as well. 

"Oh, I'm always outside." She said softly. "Just… not so much about. Not in the mornings." 

"You wanted to see the monster, didn't you?" He said, slowly stepping over to take a seat beside her. His legs hung over the edge of the roof, and he stared out into the horizon too, as if searching for what seemed to capture her attention so. 

“No, Mao.” Lorelei responded kindly. “I wanted to see you."

"...Oh." 

"I was going to tell you that I was thinking about taking a little trip. Somewhere besides here." 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his head turn to look at her. He looked both incredulous and appalled, his voice sounding full of disbelief and betrayal as he spoke, "You mean you're leaving?" 

"It's only a trip, Mao." Lorelei reminded gently, though she wasn't sure it had enough power to calm him. "Admittedly, maybe even a defense effort. There's a village southwest of here. It's nothing like Pure Heart, but they've been having monster problems too. And they could use the extra help." 

Hearing her explanation he relaxed; if she had to leave to help others, he could get over himself enough to let her go. It wasn’t like  _ he  _ would be able to go help them. If they needed assistance, it would be selfish of him to make her stay. 

That didn’t stop a voice in his head from trying to make him go back on the submission.  _ You would have heard of such a village. This is just a trick to leave you expecting her return again. You’re being played.  _

Shaking his head to clear the voice, Mao made himself speak. 

"If you have to go in order to help people then…" Mao began carefully, quickly raising his ears as he realized they had been drooping, "I want you to go. It's better than staying here and letting them face the battles alone.”

"You know I'm going to come back, don't you?" 

She wasn't expecting a "yes", because she knew it was almost impossible for him to know, but the silence still cut into her. 

In truth, he didn't know. He believed she would, but he believed that before. And that realization only made the voice louder, at a decibel that he couldn’t quite shake away.

"I suppose I can't prove it just yet." She murmured. "So… I'm not leaving until I can." 

“Wait, wait, wait.” He said quickly. “No. You should… go to them. They need help and protection, you said it yourself. I can…”

And then he stopped talking, because what he would say next didn’t seem entirely true when he echoed it in his head. 

It would only be half a lie if he said it. He’d be able to fight the monsters like he always had. But what about the personal ones? If she left and didn’t come back for a while, that could break him. 

The voice in his head really should have been roaring by then, but now it was only a hissing whisper. 

_ That’s.  _ ** _Weak. _ **

“I can hold my own.” 

Mao forced out the sentence, and could only hope it sounded genuine to the listening party. How genuine could something sound if it didn’t even sound real to the person saying it? 

And how genuine could something sound if the person who heard it didn’t sound like they believed it, either? 

“And so can they.” Lorelei commented gently. “For two more days.”

“But-”   
  
“Two more days, Mao. Just a while longer, so that I won’t leave you so soon. And trust me when I tell you they’ll be fine, Mao. They’re warriors.”

_ Trust her? Don’t forget what she did, Mao. She left you to raise yourself. _

** _But she came back. _ **

There was no time for a response. Behind him came a familiar, feminine, almost-childlike voice. Adorabat. 

“Mao Mao? Who’s that?” 

_ Uh oh.  _

  
  
  



	5. Who's That? - Part Two

Adorabat wasn't far behind, hovering above the edge of the roof. She stared Lorelei down with a curious expression and a slight frown, her eyes darting between the new cat and Mao, silently making comparisons. 

"A-Adorabat!" Mao stuttered, quickly rising to his feet and stumbling over to her. Lorelei glanced at him as he left before staring back at the flying creature. "How did you-? You were inside, how did you know to come up here?"

"I snuck out!" Adorabat replied gleefully, now completely distracted by Mao as she beamed up at him. "I know you said not to because I'm still kinda sick but I couldn't help it!" 

Mao gave a heavy, almost-exasperated sigh at the explanation. "Adorabat, no-" 

Adorabat dodged past him, quickly flying over to Lorelei. "You still haven't answered my question!" She said, turning to look back at Mao after unintentionally getting in Lorelei's face without realizing. She began to fly erratically around Lorelei, her voice sounding excited now. "Who is this? Why does she look like you? And why are her eyes purple but yours green? And-" 

Quick as lightning, a giant hand shot through the air and snagged Adorabat by the ears, stopping her in place. Lorelei looked to the edge of the rooftop just in time to see a giant, round badger climbing his way over. 

"I got her!" He called out to nobody, rolling safely onto the rooftop and standing up. 

"Aaand everybody's here now." Mao said defeatedly, shoulders slouching in an "I give up" way. He glared back at Lorelei, looking more annoyed than angry. 

"Hey bro, who's that?" Badgerclops asked. He grabbed Mao's arm and made him point to Lorelei with his own finger whilst Mao still held the annoyed expression. "Thaaaat." 

"I wanted to know too!" Adorabat chimed in, still being held by Badgerclops's mechanical hand, not caring in the slightest. "And I  _ also _ wanted to know why she-"

"Okay, okay, okay." Mao said quickly, holding a hand up to silence the babbling child, yanking his arm from Badgerclops's grip. "I guess introductions are in order now. But you two are going first." 

Badgerclops finally let go of Adorabat, his mechanical arm retracting back to his side immediately. He smiled kindly at Lorelei before beginning to speak. "I'm Badgerclops. Mao Mao here is my sidekick." 

"I'm really not." Mao replied flatly. 

"If he told you it was the other way around then he's lying." Badgerclops continued. "He does that a lot." 

"I really don't." 

"And I'm Adorabat!" The small bat chimed in, flapping her wings and hovering beside Lorelei. "I like adventures and  _ danger!  _ I met Mao Mao when he crash landed here!" 

At this, Lorelei raised a brow, glancing at Mao with a growing grin. " _ Crash  _ landed?" 

"Adorabat-" Mao started, but was ignored.

Oblivious, Adorabat continued on, "Yeah! He crashed into our invisibility shield and broke it and exposed us to monsters and everybody was really mad at him for it for a-" 

"Aaaahahaha!" Mao yelled (almost frantically), running over and quickly covering the bat’s mouth. He glanced nervously at Lorelei. “Adorabat and her blabbermouth…”

Looking at him, Lorelei very much wanted to reply with, “So  _ you’re  _ the reason the mountain suddenly appeared before my eyes”, but instead she simply smiled and closed her eyes and remarked, “Guess that means it’s my turn.” 

All of the party except for Mao seemed to lean in in interest, whilst Lorelei began to speak. 

“My name is Lorelei. I come from a prestigious family of Samurai and, for a time... I was Mao’s mother. I found this place whilst travelling alone, and I’ve been staying here since. Hidden in plain sight, pretty much.” 

“WOW!” Adorabat yelled, thankfully after Lorelei seemed to be finished speaking. She turned to look at the new face for the first time in moments, her eyes filled with excitement and wonder. “You’re Mao’s  _ mother?!  _ He’s been wondering where you went!” 

“Adorabat…” Mao whispered, though it seemed to be unheard by the thrilled child. 

“That explains… a lot.” Badgerclops replied, doing a swift, second look-over of her. 

Nodding once, Lorelei smiled. “Mao found me a few nights ago, so my jig has been up for a while. 

Eyes sparkling, Adorabat landed in front of Lorelei, pressing her wings to her cheeks. “Wow! You’re like a ninja!” 

“Mmhm.” Lorelei commented, nodding once and staring down at Adorabat with a kind expression. “That’s how I was trained by my family. Swift, quiet, and sneaky.”

“Mao Mao, your mother is  _ awesome!”  _ Adorabat yelled, turning her head to look back at the aforementioned cat, who regarded her with a forced-looking smile and a few nervous scratches to the back of his neck. She then turned her head back to Lorelei, her astounded expression only intensifying as new questions began to spill from her mouth. ‘Have you fought monsters? Dragons? Giant snakes? What about colossi? Wyverns? Giant ants? Manticores? Ooh! What about-” 

Her onslaught of questions was cut short as suddenly she was picked up; Mao’s arms closed around her stomach, gently lifting her. 

"O- _ kay,  _ Adorabat." He said to her, seeming amused by her antics now more than anything. "Don't stress her out." 

With a chuckle drawing from her throat, Lorelei stood up. "It's nice to meet you both." 

"We need to go on an adventure!" Adorabat exclaimed. "A big, exciting adventure! All of us! As a family!" 

Simultaneously, both Mao and Lorelei's ears perked. They glanced up at each other, reading each other's surprised expressions. 

Then Lorelei smiled a warm, loving smile, coaxing Mao into his own. 

"We'll see." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have some wholesome mother-son bonding :)


	6. Pure Heart Village

It had rained throughout the night. Mao could see it in the streaks on the windows, feel it in the dew on the grass under his bare paws as he stepped out of the house, closing the door slowly and softly behind him. The sunrise capped the horizon in the distance, painting the waking morning sky in a homey orange and blue. Sunlight spilled off of rooftops and across the ground below, leaving sheltering shade under awnings and tree leaves.

Badgerclops probably would have liked to see the sunrise… if he was out here. But he never woke up this early. 

Mao had stayed at home the previous night, sleeping five hours of it, staying up the final four. Now it was almost eight, and if he was correct, the kingdom wouldn’t be awake for another good hour. 

But it didn’t matter. He wasn’t staying, anyway.

He was heading down the mountain, to the expansive forest surrounding the kingdom. Before he had retired to bed the night before, Lorelei and he had shared a chat upon the rooftop. Adorabat had gotten tired, Badgerclops too. So then it was just them. 

"I don't mean to alarm you, Mao," she had started, her voice full of humor despite her words, "but I've been armed since I got here." 

His interest had been piqued but his shock not triggered; the perk of his ears urged her on to her explanation. 

"I brought a bow and some arrows with me." Lorelei explained, and she laughed. "And I was wondering if you'd like to travel down to the village." 

"What's in the village?" He had asked, his ears perked in curiosity. 

"A dojo." Lorelei replied, a fainter smile crossing her face. "While I was down there, the villagers let me practice my archery in a backyard training field. I think a trip down to at least see it would be good for us both." 

Mao thought it over; she wasn't wrong, he could use a change in scenery. But he was tethered to this place. If he left, and something happened… 

"I don't know." He replied dumbly, rushing to correct himself. "I-I mean, I'd love to, but-" 

"You're worried for the Kingdom." She finished in a knowing tone, pressing her hands palm-first on the roof and leaning back.

"Uh… yeah…" 

"Well, that's understandable. You wouldn't want to head all the way down there and have something bad happen up here." Lorelei acknowledged. "But I'll tell you what. I'll be down there tomorrow, and I'll be back before nightfall. If you feel comfortable, come down and find me. I've learned plenty of new tricks in my time away, and I'm sure you have as well." 

** _Her time away? Is that what she calls it? _ **

Ignoring the intrusive thought, Mao nodded gingerly. "Alright." 

With that, Lorelei shifted and drew her legs in, getting ready to stand. "You'd best be getting back home now, Mao. As should I." 

And so they did. 

But now it was morning, and after four hours awake debating his decision, here he was. Standing at the start of the hill that would slope and twist all the way down the mountain. He was glad nobody was seeing this. 

He was glad nobody was seeing him take the first steps down the hill. 

He was glad nobody was seeing him leave.

**\-----**

The village was awake with sounds, alive with people and smells and sights. Banners hung between posts on houses. Pink heart motifs decorated fence posts, utility poles, and peoples' houses. Everywhere he looked there were children running about, chasing each other, playing tag. 

And then they were all staring at him. 

Being surveyed so closely did make his cape cling to his neck and back, but these faces were friendly and amazed. 

These villagers looked like Sweety Pies, but were a lot less polished. There were dogs and frogs and even a few rhinoceros. The shine of armor directed Mao's eyes to them each time he went looking for new faces. Some wore clothes and some wore nothing at all. There was one dog that had a pretty cool looking hat. But there was one thing made evident just by looking at them, one thing that made Mao a bit worried, confused, and sad.

This village was poor. 

And they either didn't notice or didn't care. 

Excited giggles and voices alike mingled amongst the crowd, with hints of "There he is! That's the guy!" bleeding out from a specific person that Mao couldn't locate. 

As soon as he realized how rude it could be to pass by all of them without saying anything, Mao stopped and craned his head to look at the amassed. 

"Hi." 

Silence. 

And then they cheered, cheered as if they had heard the greatest news in their entire lives. Cheered as if a great war had been stopped. The sound was almost deafening; Mao's ears instinctively pinned back, an expression of "oh god what'd I just do" painting his face. 

"He's here! He's here!" 

"The hero has come to see us!" 

"He followed that woman here!" 

"I told you! I told you!" 

Seconds passed and, hearing the outcry of adoration, Mao stood straight again. His heart swelled with pride hearing the cheers; the Sweety Pies back home could have always cheered for Badgerclops and Adorabat but here, it was only him. 

"He's here! He's here!"

"So grand! So great!" 

"He's just as you said!" 

"So powerful! So bold!" 

Mao put a hand on his hip, turning to survey all of his swarming, new fans. A smile crept onto his face, and the crowd seemed to eat it up. 

He liked this place. 

**\-----**

The cheering was distracting her. Three times by then had she completely missed the bullseye on the target. 

But she knew by the volume and the voices that there was only one reason they could be cheering so much for anything. Or anyone. 

Mao had come after all. 

She rushed for the entry doors to the back yard, placing her bow and arrows down on a wooden table before pulling the doors open and running out of the dojo. She could see the cheering crowd lined up parallel down in the square. 

She could see the black cat soaking in all the attention, too. 

Making her way down, Lorelei allowed herself a smile. She didn't know what the cause of it was, but there was something there that she found funny. 

As soon as the crowd caught sight of her, they hushed immensely. Interested "ooo"s and whisper-yells of "look! there's the woman!" flitted amongst the crowd. Eyes in the crowd went from her to Mao and back again; eventually, as he turned around, his eyes were on her too. 

She gave him a kind smile, a gesture that he returned. And then she glanced at the crowd. 

"Nice surprise, right?" 

An explosion of applause noticeably softer than its predecessor rang out, claps and whoops being the most audible. 

Lorelei carried a charismatic energy between her and the villagers, an energy that could only have developed through months of being amongst them. They seemed to hang on her every word, as if she were royalty descending from on high to mingle. 

As if they both were. 

"I knew you'd appreciate it!" Lorelei continued. "And you're welcome!" 

The cheers erupted again, the noise reaching its original volume. Lorelei gently placed a hand on Mao's shoulder after he became distracted by them all again, bringing his attention back to her. She was regarding him with both a kind smile and kind eyes, her voice soft yet still reaching him through the other noise. 

"Would you like to meet them?" She asked. Her voice was soft yet still held excitement, as if she was hoping or somehow knew his answer would be "yes". 

"All-All of them?" He asked, looking back at them all. His face held an expression of "wow there's so many", and it was a dumbfounded expression, an excited expression. 

"Mmhm." Lorelei responded, nodding once. Her smile grew. 

Making his decision in seconds, Mao nodded back. "Yeah." 

With her hand still on his shoulder, she started to lead him forward, closer to the group of people they were facing. Their eyes seemed to shine brighter and brighter as he got closer. Lorelei smiled at their excitement, patting Mao's back twice, and then letting go. 

"Go on." She urged the crowd gently, like a mother encouraging a child to do something they were too fearful to. "Say your names. One at a time." 

"I'm Skipper." "Skipper" - an orange and white male dog - began, seeming to encourage the others more. He was wearing grey, shining armor with a pink heart motif on the chest, and was standing tall and proud. 

"I'm Bailey." Bailey was a dog, too, with flowing brown fur. He stood proud like Skipper, and had armor like the other, as well. Guard dogs? 

"I'm Sprinkles." A skunk chimed, smiling sweetly at him. She was wearing an apron with a small logo on its pocket; squinting, Mao could just make out the words "Sprinkles' Treats" on it, along with a drawing of a cupcake with a pink heart motif jutting out of the top. A baker. Maybe that was why he smelled sweets in the air. "Pleased to meetcha!" 

And so, one by one, everybody introduced themselves. There was no way Mao could remember everybody's names, and he knew that. But he regarded them all with a smile and a faint "hello"; some even swooned as he acknowledged them. 

And it was the last person to introduce themselves - a little kid, a blue bird with blue wings and enough blue and cuteness to make Mao a little homesick - that chose not to and instead came up to him with shining eyes and said in the quietest voice, "We're so very glad you came to see us. We've heard so much about you. My friend Meredith said you weren't real, but I always knew." 

Meredith. The owl who had only just introduced herself a person before. She had been bashful, nervous. Ashamed? 

"He's come to practice with me in the dojo, Axel." Lorelei commented gently. "Your father will let him in, won't he?" 

"Uhuh!" Axel responded, seeming to perk up at the mention of her father. 

Smiling lovingly, Lorelei reached over and patted the young bird's head. "Attagirl." She pulled her arm back and turned, speaking to Mao then. "Well, would you like to go now?" 

_ Not really.  _

"Yes." 


	7. Grogarn's Pool

And so they went the way Lorelei had come, towards a hill. A building capped the top. It was topped with a blood-red roof that stood out greatly, its front lined with red pillars. The inside of the dojo was covered up by obtuse, white panels. At the entrance, there were no doors. Merely a glance at the view inside. 

The two cats stepped in. The dojo was warm compared to the air outside. Lighting was natural; a generous amount of sunlight spilled in from open windows at the tops of the walls. 

The floor was white, with red stripes coming in from all four corners of the room to form a square in the middle. Along the walls were photographs; sensei bowing with students, students holding up trophies, or students practicing on dummies were depicted in most. 

Mao looked up. A giant, bronze plaque almost the size of the ceiling was above him. On the plaque was a silhouette of a hand slamming down on a plank of wood, snapping it in two. The snapped plank had little, colorless heart motifs seemingly fluttering out of it. There were other boards beneath, yet to be broken. 

"This place has been around since before your grandparents were born." Lorelei said softly, looking around with him. "So many great warriors trained here. Right where we're standing." 

"Wow…" Mao said in an astonished tone. He looked down at where he was standing, taking in the sight of the scuff marks around his feet. Visions of heroic legends sparring and fighting, with their gallant swords scraping the floor and making those marks, filled his mind. 

  
  


"Some say that even the most inexperienced fighters that came in here, reemerged a hero." Lorelei continued. "Parents would send their unruly sons here to be disciplined, and they would all come back ready to go to war. To protect their homes." 

A feeling of inspiration spread through his blood. It felt as if all the great heroes of the past were in that room, in spirit, hovering around him. Accepting him. 

He took another look around the place. 

He belonged. 

**\----- **

The backyard was spacious. A tall, brown fence stretched on from each side of the dojo to the edge of a slope. The ground was tightly-packed dirt, and there was no grass to be found anywhere, but outside of the fence, trees stood tall and proud. A gentle breeze fluttered through the backyard, rustling the fur of the two entering cats. 

Catching sight, finally, of the golden bow and set of arrows on the table, Mao turned to look at them, his interest piqued. 

"Are those yours?"

Smiling knowingly before she even turned to look, Lorelei nodded. "Mmhm." 

He stepped closer to the table, staring down at the golden weapon. It shone in the sunlight, the genuine gold shimmering and blinking. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not fragile.” Lorelei spoke from behind him, watching her son inspect her weapon with a sort of amused expression. “You can pick it up.” 

The bow and arrow found its way into Mao’s paws, and he eyed it incredulously, taking in every detail. He imagined himself as its owner, expertly springing arrow after arrow into any beast dumb enough to come for the valley. 

“I got that bow when I was just a young kit.” Lorelei said softly. “Like how you were when you were awarded with Geraldine. Passing on our weapons has been a tradition for generations. Warrior’s blood runs through our veins, Mao. I think you’ve done a great job honoring that fact.” 

Mao’s face fell at her words, and he began to debate over them. He had done a lot of good things since becoming waylaid, but he still wasn’t  _ legendary.  _

“Well,” he sighed, slowly lowering the bow back to its spot on the table, “that would make one of us, I guess.” 

Lorelei’s ears drooped, her eyes filling with sympathy at the example of her son’s self-consciousness. She took a few steps forward, placing her hand on the back of his shoulder.

“Come with me.” She instructed. “There’s something else here I’d like to show you.” 

When she turned away, Mao Mao turned to follow her, curiosity as to where they were going next replacing his sadness from before. 

Lorelei led him to the fence and pried open a gate he hadn’t noticed before, revealing a grassy hill that sloped down into a dark forest. Lorelei continued on down the hill, and Mao followed her. 

Almost as soon as he entered the forest, the sound of rushing water became apparent to him. His ears flicked at the noise; it reminded him he was thirsty, but that would have to wait.

Getting down the slope was a little tough, but when they got into the forest, Mao realized it wasn't as dark as it seemed. The sound of the rushing water grew louder and louder, until finally, the two black cats saw their destination. 

It was a small pond at the bottom of a short cliff, with water cascading down from rushing falls, sending ripples through the pond. Lorelei stopped at the very edge of the water, and Mao came up beside her. The pond was crystal clear. Small, copper coins littered the bottom of the pond, glinting in the sunlight. 

"People come here to relax all the time." Lorelei spoke softly, watching the rippling water below. "So many get in and swim, but the water always remains clean. Nobody's tampered with it for generations. Some even call it the Pool of Legends." 

Mao's ears perked at the last word, and he took a greater interest in the water. His reflection was skewed in the rippling pool; he puffed out his chest, without knowing why. 

"There's an old tale about this place." Lorelei continued, looking around at the forestry this time. "See that bench? Grogarn, my great great grandfather, is buried underneath it. They say his body has been keeping the water clean, so that all the creatures of this forest can have a place to drink. And they say that whoever steps into this water, will be in Grogarn's good graces for life. If they are truly pure of heart, that is." 

Mystified, Mao considers her words, taking a glance at the bench. He tries to imagine what Grogarn was like, towering and bold and strong. But all he sees is his father. 

"I used to come out here to talk to him." Lorelei said softly. "I sat on the bench and told him about you a few times. Even before I met you again, I was telling him about how much I missed you. And… and then you were there." 

Mao felt a warmness in his heart; he stared down into the pond, a small smile capturing his lips. She sounded so happy when she mentioned that. It made him feel important.  _ _

It'd been a long time since he'd felt important to a parent.

Lorelei abruptly turned to him, and he copied her, staring into her eyes. They were shining just the smallest bit, and as she took in the sight of her son's face, she shook her head and smiled softly. 

"I looked everywhere for you, son. I tried to get back in contact with your sisters, and when they told me you had run away, they… they disgraced you. I searched as far as I could, but you were always out of sight. But I never lost hope." 

Mao stared at her, all that he was realizing and learning making tears begin to burn. His breath hitched. He couldn't fight it if he tried.

"I've always wanted you. From the day you were born, from the very first moment I held you, I loved you more than anything in the world. And I would have given anything to have stayed with you, to have chosen not to leave. I would do anything to make it right, Mao. You are the  _ greatest  _ thing to ever happen to me. You've always been." 

Her arms came around him, and he didn't fight it as he was pressed against her. His eyes were quickly filling with tears, and as soon as he felt the warmth of her chest, and heard the beating of her heart, he lost it. 

They began to weep in joy together, Mao loosely clenching a fist against his mother's chest, Lorelei propping her chin on the top of her son's head and letting the tears fall. She had never thought once in a million years that she would ever get to have this moment again, to hold her son whether he cried or not. Her paw rubbed aimlessly along his back to comfort him while he sobbed against her, and they stayed like that for minutes, until finally Mao pulled away. 

His green eyes were like glass, still shimmering from all of the shed tears. He was smiling a shaking smile as he stared, at a loss for words where none were needed.

Then he wrapped his arms around her and they hugged again, Mao propping his chin on her shoulder and closing his eyes to focus on the feeling. 

"I missed you, Mom." He said softly, his body relaxing in her embrace.

"I missed you too, son." 

Moments were spent in silence before, for the second time, Mao pulled away first. 

"Want to head back?" Lorelei asked softly, to which Mao nodded and sniffed and smiled. 

Lorelei patted his shoulder, then turned and began to walk back through the forest. Mao took a glance at the bench a final time, then stepped carefully over to it. He gently rested a paw on the stoney surface, and spoke quietly. 

"Thank you." 

Then he followed his mother.

  
  
  



End file.
